Look, Chutes and Ladders does exactly one thing well: it teaches preschoolers to count and recognize numbers in a colorful, non-threatening package. For that narrow window between ages 3-5, it's a solid educational tool disguised as a game.

But let's be honest—this is barely a game. It's a random number generator with a board. You spin, you move, you land where fate decides. There are no choices, no strategy, no skill development beyond basic counting. The BoardGameGeek community has spoken with a brutal 2.9/10 rating, and Reddit parents are openly calling it 'terrible' with 'little redeeming value.'

The Amazon rating of 4.8/5 exists because parents of toddlers are just grateful for anything that occupies their kid for 20 minutes while teaching numbers. That's valid! If you have a 3 or 4 year old learning to count, this will do the job.

But the moment your child is ready for games with actual decisions—even something as simple as Candy Land's card-drawing or Hi Ho Cherry-O's spinner choices—retire this one to the donation pile. There are so many better family games that teach skills AND are actually fun to play. This is a rite of passage you endure, not an experience you enjoy.